MONMOUTH — There may not be a more valuable leadoff hitter in the Mountain Valley Conference than Carrabec junior Bailey Dunphy.
Tuesday, Dunphy set the tone for her team’s showdown against once-beaten Monmouth by bunting the first pitch of the game for a hit. The speedy catcher stole second and scored on Sam LeBeau’s double.
Dunphy, who came into the game batting .704, added three more hits, including a double, to lead the Cobras to a 6-2 win, their most important this season. Monmouth, riding a nine-game win streak coming into the game, falls to 9-2 while Carrabec evens its record at 5-5.
“We needed it,” said Dunphy, who scored three runs and stole three bases. “We came out strong, we didn’t let up. A lot of times we start out strong and kind of filter off, but that didn’t happen tonight.”
The Cobras picked up 11 hits, including three doubles and a triple, and led from start to finish. Lexie Cowan added two singles and a double, while Makenzie Baker tripled in a run and scored once.
“This has been our best hitting day,” Carrabec coach Craig Knight said. “She’s a very good pitcher.”
Emily Chasse went the distance for the Mustangs with mixed results. She struck out 13 batters and walked three, but the Cobras also put their bats on the ball.
“Em got strong as the game went on,” Monmouth coach Dave Kaplan said. “She was just missing her spots early on. If we gave her some run support, we should win that game.”
LeBeau went the distance for Carrabec and also grew stronger as the game progressed. She allowed four hits, including a second-inning solo homer to Abby Ferland, She fanned seven and walked one.
“Her changeup was working really well tonight,” Dunphy said. “It was catching them off guard. And she had good placement.”
The Cobras scored twice in the third inning when Cowan led with a single and came home on Baker’s triple to the right-field corner. Baker scored on a base hit by Makenzie Edes to make it 4-1.
“I’ve definitely put more effort into (hitting) this year,” Cowan said. “I’ve had hitting practices and lessons, and I definitely think they paid off.”
LeBeau struggled with her control in the third inning when she walked a batter and hit two others, but the Mustangs could only manage one run as LeBeau retired two straight batters with the bases loaded.
Dunphy would score Carrabec’s final two runs. She hit an opposite field double to left, stole third and scored on Cowan’s hit in the fourth, then led the sixth with a single, stole second and scored on LeBeau’s base hit.
“The Dunphy kid is the toughest out in the league, I’m convinced of that,” Kaplan said. “She’s got great speed and great savvy. She’s a pretty good backstop, too.”
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